Stretcher and drier for hides and leather



E. J. ROBINSON. STRETCHER AND DRIER FOR HIDES AND LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.811 92O.

Patehted 001:. 11

HTTY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STRETCHER AND DRIER FOR HIDES AND LEATHER.

Application filed December To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Framers 'J. ROBINSON, of Aurora, in the county ofYork,Province of Ontario, Canada, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stretchersand Driers for Hides and Leather, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to devices used for stretching and drying hidesand leather, raw or tanned. Several of these devices have been devisedat different times, but so far none which will satisfactorily do thework as their construction has not been sufficiently strong towithstandthe strainof the leather being stretched or dried thereon.

My object therefore is to devise a construction for the purpose whichwill be sufiiciently strong to stand" up under all ordinary conditions,which will not be too expensive to construct, and which may be repairedat a minimum of expense.

I attain my object by means of the constructions hereinafter describedand illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is anelevation of my improved stretcher, partly in section, part of a hidebeing shown in position thereon;

Fig. 2 an end elevation of the same, partly in section; and

Fig. 3 a sectional detail of one of the clamp hooks. i

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin the different figures. I

1 is a frame, preferably of square or rectangular shape. This frame isprovided with a plurality of longitudinal braces 2 parallel to the sidesof the frame. The ends of these longitudinal braces will be providedwith tenons to-fit into mortises formed in fhe ends of the frame, asindicated in dotted mes.

3 are transverse braces extending between the longitudinal braces andbetween the longitudinal braces and the sides. These trans-.- versebraces will also be, provided with ten oned ends to fit into mortisesformed in the longitudinal braces and sides of the frame.

It will be noted that the transverse and longitudinal braces are ofexactly the same thickness asthe inner edge of the frame.

Corner braces 4 are provided which are secured to the frame by bolts 5passing through the same.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

8, 1920. Serial No. 429,084.

further that there is more or less danger of dints being formed in theleather throu h the surface not being perfectly flat, I re or to useperforated sheet metal. While may use a single sheet of sufiicient sizeto cover the entire frame, to save material I prefer to cover each sideof the frame with two large pieces 6 and to fill in the space at eachend with a smaller piece 7 leaving an uncovered space at the center ofthe device. I show the different sections of the perforated surface, asbeing overlapped, but it will be understood that I may simply have theired es abutting one another.

It wil be noted on reference to Fig. 2 that the outer ed e of the frameis of greater thickness tian the inner edge, and that the perforatedsheets 6 and 7 only ex tend to the inside of this thicker portion. Itherefore secure the edges of the pieces 6 and 7 to the frame by meansof filling pieces 8, which are secured to the frame by means of nlailspassing through the perforated meta It is preferable, particularly, whenthe' -stretching surface is formed of a plurality of pieces, to securethe same to the braces, as, for example, by nails 9, as otherwise theperforated surface would be liable to buckle. and it is one of theimportant features of my invention that the perforated surface should beabsolutely Hat and not allowed to bend inwardly or outwardly.

Clamp hooks 10 are provided adapted to be engaged with the corners orsides of a hide or piece of leather and adapted to hook into theapertures in the perforated surface. Any suitable clamp hook may beemployed, but I prefer to use a hook constructed substantially as shownin the drawings. Each clamp hook is formed with a fixedjaw 11 abovewhich is pivoted the movable jaw 12, which movable jaw-isoperated bymeans of a cam lever fulcrumed on 1 lugs 14. extending up from the sidesof the fixed jaw 11. The movable jaw is formed with a hooked lug 15engageable by the cam lever to lift the movable jaw to enable the jawsto be engaged with the hide, which is subsequentl secured by pressingdown the cam lever.

ring 16 is connected to the rear of the fixed jaw, which ring has adownwardly directed extension 17 adapted to act as a hook to engage inthe apertures in the perforated sheets. In Fig. 3 the clamp hook isshown in full lines with the jaws open and in dotted lines with the jawsclosed.

The mode of operation is to secure clamps to the corners or otherprojections of the hide and then to engage the hooks 17 in any suitableapertures of the metallic sheet to apply the desired stretching tensionto the hide.

As a hide or piece of leather may be secured on each side of my device,there will be less danger of the same warping when in use, and as thereare no pro ections of any kind on either surface, there will be nodanger of dints or bulges being formed in the leather.

As the frames in actual practice will be quite large, a considerablesaving will be made by omitting the covering at the center, and further,should any section of pertorated metal become damaged, it will only benecessar to replace that particular section instea of a Whole sheet. 1

From the above description it will be seen that I have devised astretching and drying r aeaeee device which will. satisfactorily attainthe objects of m invention as set out in the preamble of thisspecification.

What I claim as my invention i's:

1. in a leather stretcher, the combination of a rectan ular frameprovided with 1ongitudinal an transverse braces, the outer edge of theframe being of greater thickness than its inner edge and the bracesbeing of substantially the same thickness as the inner edge of theframe; perforated sheet metal at each side of the frame; and fillingpieces securing the perforated sheet metal to the frame. i

2. In a leather stretcher, the combination of a rectangular frameprovided with longitudinal and transverse braces, the outer edge of theframe being of greater thickness than its inner edge and the bracesbeing of substantially the same thickness as the inner edge of theframe; perforated sheet metal at each side of the frame; filling piecessecuring the perforated sheet metal to the frame; and means securing thesheet metal to the braces.

Signed at Twp. cit Vaughan, Co. of York, Prov. of Ont, this 27th day ofNew, 1920.

FRANCIS J. RQBINSQN.

